Japan sends helicopters to Indonesia for first overseas firefighting mission
By The South Asia Times
TOKYO - Japan has sent a military transport ship carrying three CH-47 Chinook helicopters to wildfire-hit Indonesia, marking the Japanese Self-Defense Forces' first overseas firefighting mission, Japan's Defense Ministry said Thursday.
The Kunisaki, an 8,900-ton Osumi-class transport vessel, arrived at Kijing Port in West Kalimantan after departing Japan's Kure naval base in Hiroshima Prefecture on Aug. 30, according to Kyodo News.
About 350 personnel from Japan's Maritime and Ground Self-Defense Forces will participate in the operation, with the helicopters expected to begin aerial firefighting missions from West Kalimantan on Sunday for about one week.
The CH-47 helicopters will draw water from rivers and carry approximately 5 tonnes per load before dropping it over areas affected by the fires.
"We will make every effort" to carry out the mission and help people affected by the disaster, a Japanese Defense Ministry official said.
Indonesia has been battling extensive wildfires, with fires reported between January and July burning about 2,000 square kilometers of forests and peatland, according to Japanese officials.
An Indonesian Defense Ministry official welcomed Japan's assistance, saying the cooperation could help authorities respond to the disaster more quickly and effectively.
The deployment follows a May agreement between Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin to expand defense cooperation between the two countries, including joint training and disaster-relief operations.
The mission also highlights the growing humanitarian and disaster-response role of Japan's Self-Defense Forces overseas.
Japan has previously used CH-47 helicopters during major domestic emergencies. The aircraft were deployed during the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, when Japanese authorities used helicopters to drop water onto damaged reactor buildings following the earthquake and tsunami that caused a loss of power and cooling systems.
The Indonesian deployment represents another step in Japan's expanding defense cooperation with Southeast Asian countries, while providing Indonesia with additional aerial capacity to combat fires that threaten forests, communities and critical infrastructure.
